stacking rings

I never used to wear rings, but once I finally got used to wearing my engagement ring, it was like a beast was let out of its cage. Now I just want to pile on more and more rings! I love the look of stacking delicate, thin bands together. And with the recent trend of first knuckle rings, I can literally stack them to the top of my fingers!

First knuckle rings, also called tea rings, midi rings, or memory rings, are meant to be worn above the knuckle. The name "memory ring" refers to a clever trick: move a pinky ring above the knuckle of another finger to remind you to do something. 

Lest you think this trend was invented in Brooklyn, a recent article from The Daily Beast revealed that these rings actually date back to the Renaissance. Apparently, wealthy women wore them to brag that they didn't have to work with their hands in the fields. Nowadays, you can just use them to signify your love of jewelry, or to accent your new manicure. 

The jewelry store Catbird was one of the first to popularize this trend, as still has the best selection of first knuckle and stacking rings. Their ever-changing How We Wear It gallery is a great source of inspiration for creative stacks of rings. I have their Classic and Mignon memory rings, which I wear on the top of my middle and ring fingers. I've also got my eye on their Pinky Club Ring and maybe a stack of Alphabet Rings with my initials.

For more inexpensive options, Etsy has a ton of jewelers using less precious materials. I like the simple stacking rings from Modern Chromatic and this dainty Knot Ring.

[images from top: Catbird First Knuckle Rings, Refinery29 layered rings, and Catbird Anatomy of a Stack]